This archive report was first published on 21 October 2021.
As of October 2021, Uganda had become an outlier in Africa, with its schools remaining fully closed for close to two years, according to data from the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef).
Unicef's data tracks the educational impact of Covid-19 globally, revealing that schools in Uganda have been closed for more than 77 weeks, or nearly 20 months, making it the country with the longest school closures in the world.
Uganda's prolonged school closures have affected over 15 million learners, with far-reaching consequences for their welfare, including missed meals, vaccinations, and social isolation.
According to Unicef, school closures have created a 'shadow crisis' for children, with many experiencing anxiety, abuse, and violence, and some even dropping out of school or being forced into child labor or marriage.
While other African countries, such as Rwanda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, have reopened their schools, Uganda maintains a 7pm curfew and keeps key sectors, including education, under lockdown.
As of October 18, 2021, Uganda had vaccinated 2,575,021 people, with a 1.8% positivity rate, and registered less than 100 new Covid-19 cases daily.
However, the country plans to reopen institutions of higher education in November and other schools in January 2022, provided that teachers, support staff, and students above 18 are vaccinated against Covid-19.
